I had the very random inspiration to make an appearance and start a paranoia thread (no doubt there are some floating about somewhere. If so, well, maybe I can add something to what's there).

Anyways, this really cool psych teacher at my school once said this great line: "Basically, you all think 'they' are out to get you. And you're right. The question you should be asking is: Who are they? And how committed are 'they' to 'their' endeavor?"

So, I ask you: how many of you truly often feel like there's a massive (or small) conspiracy of those around you (this is more of a 'paranoia?' question than 'name that conspiracy theory' one).

Personally, I get this all the time (not enough to be worrying, but of course). Example: once I was very bored on the subway and decided to take the 'do not lean on door' sticker off the train and put it on my door. Only one person halfway across the train saw me, and she looked rather shocked and awed. She got off the train a stop before me and, just for caution's sake (as it is rather illegal to take things from trains that are supposed to be, y'know, attached to them), I put the sign on the back-facing side of my backpack. But I swear, as soon as I got into the station, there were like ten cops milling about looking very investigative and suspicious.

I was once followed by store security in San Francisco. I saw her clock me as I went in. She followed me all around the shopping centre, up and down escalators. I found this rather amusing. Having seen what I was looking for, I left the building and walked off down the road. At the corner I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the store detective. She looked at me, a slightly concerned expression on her face, and said...

'Where did you get your coat? I've just made one just like it, and I don't want everyone to have one.'

She was reassured to know that I had made my one too.

Okay... That's not a conspiracy at all, but there was an element of paranoia!

The first thing I said when I heard that Lady Diana had died was 'the conspiracy theorists are going to love that.' Ten years later, I was spot on! Of course, we all know that she's not really dead, she's part of an elite crime fighting force (more of which will be appearing in my webcomic).

One of my favourite conspiracy theories is the idea that IBM was simply a front for the CIA, and the decline of the cold war could explain why so many IBM offices around the globe suddenly disappeared...

Another one, is that the Atlanteans walk among us, and are secretly pulling the strings of our government.This one gets very detailed, but is all the more disturbing because I was told about it by an Armed member of the MOD. Yup, the man had a gun! So naturally I simply nodded, smiled, and edged for the door.

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I often worry myself about somehow having pissed off the driver behind me, after I notice that the same car has been behind me for quite a while. I'm well aware that's it's just that I'm travelling a common route, but the thought still appears in my mind.

I'm intrigued by the Atlantean one: did the guy explain how the Atlanteans were different from the rest of us? How they communicated? How they have managed to remain a pure bloodline despite not having a homeland? I love conspiracies.

Does anyone remember Drum, who came on the forum insisting that he had assassinated the Prime Minister of Australia in the 1970s or 80s and that the Navy had implanted alien technology up his nose? That was fun, but he refused to answer any questions which spoilt it; it's no fun if the theorist isn't prepared to spin ever more ludicrous plots to explain the holes in their existing ideas!

I often worry myself about somehow having pissed off the driver behind me, after I notice that the same car has been behind me for quite a while. I'm well aware that's it's just that I'm travelling a common route, but the thought still appears in my mind.

My ex used to think that he was being followed if he saw the same car behind him for too long, which would cause him to do things like speed up really fast, then suddenly turn and hide his car behind a bush or on some off road until that car disappeared.

God the more I think about how he was when he and I were together the more I wonder why I bothered.

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My brother once drove the wrong way, through three villages, then back on the road to our village to "shake off" a police car that was following us. I pointed out that it could have just been going down that road and he said "No way man, I have seen THAT police car like, twice today. It's following me, this isn't funny. All the [expletive] pigs are out to get us, just because we believe in free parties and having a good time."

Ahh, my brother and his parannoia. He organises (well, used to) raves with his friends about the Suffolk countryside and is always suspicious of the police.

There was a good chunk of my childhood that I was sure and insisted that I was adopted. I really had had no basis for this claim, nor was I un-happy. I even remember thinking I was probably taken from another counrty. I was a really strange kid.

Now that I'm older I just get paranoid about being fired. Again I don't know why. I'm good at what I do, I've been told that I'm good at what I do by my boss and I get some of the best shifts. Yet last week I saw a poster that said "We're sorry to see Jade go, her goodbye party will be this Saturday." in the managers office. Now there's another Jade that works for the company and I full well knew this. But somehow it never occured to me the she who had worked there for 11 years was leaving. I was perfectly sure that I was getting fired on Saturday without notice and they were planning it to be a surprise.

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